by Bhupen Goswami 

GUWAHATI : The Assam Mizoram border dispute has again been on the headlines since the last couple of days. However, a news item circulated by a section of the media has given a false impression that non-Mizos residing at Khulicherra and Dholakhal have started to leave their home and hearth in fear of being attacked by Mizo forces. Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, Superintendent of Police, Cachar on the basis of the actual scenario at ground zero refuted such news reports to be “absolutely baseless.” Airing his views, SP Cachar said, “Our police forces are camping there at the border and we are continuously monitoring the situation.

No such instances of civilians leaving their home in fear of their lives have occurred. We have verified that matter.” Police Super Chandrakant further stated that the area of Khulicherra falls under the jurisdiction of Dholai Police Station and the men in uniform are there in that area round the clock. Even the senior police officers are camping there at Khulicherra. “Both the Assam Police and Mizoram Police are now camping there face to face. As a result, some people have left from the place, but it is not due to any threat of life from the Mizo forces. There is a tensed atmosphere, but the situation is under control. Our forces are doing their best to provide safety and security to the civilians residing in that area.

We are there to protect the life and property of the citizens of Assam. We are fully capable of protecting our border,” added the Superintendent of Police, Cachar. As regards a news report where some people were described to be leaving their homes on being threatened by the Mizo forces, SP Cachar said that some daily wage earners belonging to the Muslim community were working in the border in the lands owned by the Mizos in the territory of Assam. These Mizos are the residents of Assam and are also having their names in the voter list of Cachar. They had engaged local Muslims as daily wage earners. However, the SP said that due to the Eid festival on 21 July, these daily wage workers were coming back with their belongings from their work place. The SP said, “This was wrongly reported by a section of the media that the people in fear of their lives were running away leaving their villages with their belongings.

Nothing of that sort happened atleast in the border manned by Cachar Police. Some of the residents may have left the place, but that was completely a personal decision of the inhabitants themselves and not out of any threat offered by Mizoram forces.” After visiting the border on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Keerthi Jalli said, “This is constitutional land of state of Assam. We are ensuring the borders remain intact. I would like to request the public not to believe in false news. We are strongly defending our post and rebutting any efforts on their behalf to encroach upon more land of Assam. Discussions are on at higher level and I am sure that a mutually agreed upon solution will be achieved soon.”